Homemade spiced apple cider bursts out the fall’s best flavors and spices, making this drink an essence of fall season.
It was such a great day that we had at Apple Hill that we came home with a huge bag of fresh red apples and some freshly baked donuts. Then little do I know that there are so many apples left in our fridge from the last trip to Costco that I don’t want them to stay any longer as we don’t have room for our newly picked apples from Apple Hill. So I decided to make apple cider, a classic drink of this season.
There is nothing better than enjoying the best things in their season, like warming spices on fall cooler days. Fresh apples, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg come together to create a sweet and spicy cider you love. As the flavors blend together and sit for as long as you want, this easy apple cider recipe only gets better and better over time, which means it’s a great make-ahead drink for fall (even winter!) gatherings.
APPLE CIDER INGREDIENTS
I use both sweet and tart apples in this recipe. Besides, adding a little citrusy flavor like lemons or oranges will help balance the taste of the drink. Peel off oranges or lemons for a less bitter flavor. If you use more/less tart apples than sweet apples, adjust the sugar to suit your taste.
Spice the drink up the way you want. I use ground cloves and nutmegs, along with cinnamon sticks to add warming spices to apple cider but you can use allspice if you prefer to. Make sure to add the spices in the beginning of the process so the spices can blend together while it’s cooking.
More Apple Recipes:
Homemade Spiced Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 10 medium apples
- 2 orange or 1 medium lemon
- 3 cinnamon sticks, substitute with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons (50g) granulated sugar, adjust to taste*
- 12-16 cups water
Instructions
- Wash the apples, core and cut into wedges. Peel and slice oranges (or lemon).
- In a large pot, add the chopped apples, orange (or lemon) slices, cinnamon sticks, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and sugar. Pour in enough water to cover the fruit.
- Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down, cover and simmer on low heat for 3 hours.
- This time the fruit will be very soft. Use a large wooden spoon or a potato masher to mash the fruit. This is to help the fruit release its juice. Allow the cider to dimmer for 1 more hour on low heat.
- Slowly strain the mixture through a sieve, strainer or cheesecloth into a pitcher. Reserve the cooked fruit for another purpose like apple sauce, or discard.
- Serve the cider warm or cold. Cider can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
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